Balancing The Scales: 10 Years To Lose 110 Lbs? Why?

Since 2003, my bathroom scales have continued to show lower and lower numbers. It's
a good feeling. In my last blog, I talked about the multi-trauma car accident that left me
comatose for almost a month, and subsequently with a weight gain of 80 pounds. With
one small diet change, I began the journey to losing those 80 pounds plus 30 more.


Ten years is a long time, admittedly. What took so long? What was I doing during those
years that can justify that length of time? Simply stated, I was enjoying life. The car
accident left me a very different person, both physically and mentally. I now know the
necessity of enjoying life and the people in it—while I can.


It's been ten years of adding new small changes regularly. Initially, my only rules were: 
Weighing twice monthly, and showing no weight gain. Weight loss was optional, but weight 
gain was not. It was a good rule of thumb that enabled me to enjoy all the major moments 
of life, while not gaining weight.


Holidays, graduation dinners for my children, welcome home gatherings for family
members in the military, and birthday parties & cake. Going to the movies with my
grandchildren—buttered popcorn included! 


Bridal showers, baby showers, and going to lunch with co-workers. I lived those moments with 
the people I cared about, and I didn't gain any weight. (The only exception being in 2009-2010. 
I gained 17 pounds with a little help from steroid prescriptions for a debilitating sinus infection, 
and by overeating comfort food as a coping mechanism for unexpected deaths and loss of loved 
ones. Since then, I've adopted a no-excuse rule for weight gain). In fact, ten years later, I weighed 
110 pounds less!

©03-15-13
Clara B. Ray



Clara B. Ray Poetry. Written To Inspire!
http://www.clarabpoetry.com
 

Mom Was Right: Eating Veggies Is Good For Us!

Roses.
Mothers.

Petals.
Velvet memories.

A touch and scent,
lingering.

©09-06-12
Clara B. Ray



Although Mama had been sick for about 10 years, the phone call on New Year's Day in
2009, was still a surreal moment. My sister Mary's voice was mixed with a strange blend of
sadness and joy. The joy coming from knowing that years of suffering had ended, and her
grief evident as her voice broke in her next words, "Mama is gone." 

I miss Mom daily—with small things reminding me of the lessons she tried to instill in
us. "Ya'll ought to fill up on vegetables, and not all those fried potatoes." I can
hear those words even now! I smiled today while fixing lunch of spinach, green beans,
carrots, and a boneless, skinless baked chicken breast. 

Ten years ago I finally took Mama's advice and replaced 'fried potatoes' with broccoli. 
It was the single most important factor in the resulting 110 pounds I lost over the next
decade.   

One cup of chopped broccoli has 25 calories, compared to about 245 calories in one cup of
fried potatoes. When eaten twice a day in the form of french fries or good old fashioned
home fried potatoes, the difference is staggering: 440 calories more per day. Proof positive
that our parents were right after all: Eating veggies really is good for us. Thanks Mama!

©02-18-13
Clara B. Ray



Clara B. Ray Poetry. Written To Inspire!
http://www.clarabpoetry.com  

Balancing The Scales: Writing Off The Last 15 Pounds!

Over the last 10 years, I've lost 110 pounds—only 15 more to go to reach 125 lbs—half of my starting weight of 250. It has been both a long journey and a learning experience for me. A journey successful through small changes in diet and exercise, and then—more small changes in diet and exercise! Each change produced continuous, although extremely slow, weight loss. Yes. Slowly, but surely, without surgery or diet pills—the numbers on the scales dropped lower and lower.


For a while, after getting down to those last 15 pounds, I was stuck at 140! I knew my rate of 
weight loss was slow, but I've always insisted on seeing some weight loss during the month—regardless of the amount. I couldn't understand why that magical number of 139.8 was being so elusive!  


For me, it's been necessary to re-adjust my calories/exercise ratio periodically, but I had done so 
recently to this daily routine: 1,600 calories with 50 minutes on the treadmill on weekdays and 20 minutes on the weekends. And the scales had been consistently showing results of .04 lbs loss per month. So, what was the problem? Was I gaining? No. But, my goal is weight loss. 


Finally, I had a moment of enlightenment, and I put it all together. I was writing poetry again. The extra periods of inactivity had "unbalanced" my calories/exercise ratio, and I needed a little more activity to spark my metabolism.


As a poet and author, I spend a lot of time working at my computer. I'm sure this is true for most writers. I love it! To me, writing is not a chore, but something I cherish doing. So writing was not the problem. It was simply time for me to find a new balance between writing and physical activity that would produce weight loss. 


The solution has been simple. I get up from my computer and walk around the room, thinking about my poem and trying to find the right word or the right rhythm—as I walk. Keeping an eye on the clock, I make sure this is done for at least 30 minutes total throughout the day. It has been just what was needed! For the last two weeks, the scales are moving down again to 139.8 and less. 


And once again, I'm writing off the last few pounds—on my way down to 125—which is one-half 
of my original weight.

©02-11-13
Clara B. Ray 



Clara B. Ray Poetry. Written To Inspire!
http://www.clarabpoetry.com